Milestone in Police recruitment

A milestone in Police recruitment has been
achieved with the deployment of more than 1,000 new
constables around the country since the government was
formed.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Police
Minister Stuart Nash congratulated graduates of Wing 321 at
a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Police College. The 80
recruits have officially completed training and been sworn
in as constables. They will be deployed across all districts
and commence duties on Christmas Eve, 24 December.

“The
presence of police in our neighbourhoods and towns is one of
the most powerful ways to deter crime and build safer
communities,” says Mr Peters. “Today’s graduation
means 1,022 new frontline officers have graduated and been
deployed across all regions since the government was
formed.”

“The Coalition Agreement between New Zealand
First and Labour strives to increase Police numbers by 1800
extra officers. We are making good progress. The deployment
of the new constables is much-needed, especially in our
provincial communities outside our largest
city.

“Auckland has attracted 41 per cent of the new
officers and others have been deployed the length and
breadth of the country. For example Northland has 54 new
officers, Waikato has 88, Central District has 74, there are
75 new constables in Bay of Plenty, Canterbury has 81, and
Southern has 60 new officers. These previously neglected
regions were crying out for more Police,” Mr Peters
says.

“Now that recruitment and training has stepped up
following increased investment, a new recruit wing is
graduating every month,” Mr Nash says. The net gain,
accounting for attrition in the current workforce, is 483
extra frontline officers since the beginning of the 2017/18
financial year. We are more than a quarter of the way
towards our goal of 1800 extra police.

“A new recruit
wing graduates every month. In addition there will be 485
extra support staff. Policing is increasingly seen as a
worthwhile career option. There is growing diversity in
Police ranks too. One third of the new officers are women.
Today’s graduation also means the number of
fulltime-equivalent female Police officers has passed the
2,000 mark.

“One of the Government’s top three
priorities is to improve the wellbeing of New Zealanders. We
are building safer and more connected communities. There has
been a significant drop in the number of people who have
been victims of crime during 2018.

“Today’s graduates
will be out on the streets and holiday spots over summer.
They bring diverse skills and experience to their role in
keeping communities safe and preventing crime. They range in
age from 19 to 52 and many have a strong tradition of
volunteering in their communities such as surf lifesavers,
firefighters, search and rescue work, sports coaching and
mentoring young people. There are 17 born outside New
Zealand and they share at least nine foreign languages
between them.

“These new officers will help us to meet
our goals of reducing victimisation and bringing down
offending and imprisonment rates. I also thank the wing
patron, Crown Solicitor Brian Dickey, for the support,
mentoring and advice he offered during the 16-week
training,” Mr Nash
says.

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